Force

by Becca Jameson

  “You two are cozy…” Mikhail’s words were spread out and leery as he slowly stepped into the kitchen.

  Lauren sat at the table, one leg lifted with her heel on the chair and her chin on her knee. She wore loose shorts and a T-shirt.

  “Don’t say a word.” Dmitry lifted his brows in challenge from his spot at the table next to Lauren. He didn’t need a ribbing from Mikhail this morning.

  His friend lifted both hands in surrender and smirked. “I’m just going to grab a soda, and then I’ll go back to my room.”

  “Where’s Alena?” Lauren asked.

  Mikhail leaned into the fridge and then stood again, carrying a can. “In her room. She’s probably afraid to come out.”

  “Why?” Lauren sat up straighter. “Is she mad at me?”

  “Hardly.” Mikhail popped the can open and took a drink. “She’s more worried about Dmitry’s wrath than yours.”

  Dmitry jerked his gaze toward Mikhail. “Seriously?”

  “Well, she did aid and abet Lauren so she could leave the apartment and get a job. She’s also heard the two of you both loving and fighting in the last two days. She’s a bit uncertain what she might find if she surfaces.” He chuckled.

  “Tell her she’s fine. I’m not mad. Lord.” Dmitry set his hands on the table, thinking he needed to get up and go talk to Alena himself.

  Mikhail stopped him. “I’ll talk to her. She’s a little fragile. The last thing she needs is your huge frame filling her doorway.”

  Lauren stood. “No. It’s my fault. I’ll talk to her.” She padded from the room.

  Dmitry waited until Lauren was out of earshot and Alena’s door was closed before he blew out a breath and relaxed into the chair again. “Leo called.”

  Mikhail grabbed the chair Lauren had vacated and took a seat. “What’d he say?”

  “He’s on his way here.”

  “Why?”

  “No idea.”

  “Maybe he knows something.” Mikhail leaned back in his chair.

  “I hope.” Dmitry fidgeted in his seat.

  “It would make sense. Maybe Leo overheard something, and he didn’t feel secure enough to discuss it by phone.”

  “If Anton’s about to get released, he could be preparing to round us up.” Dmitry fidgeted with the edge of the table and leaned his chair back. Just the thought of Yenin’s motives made him stiffen.

  “I don’t like it.” Mikhail shook his head.

  Dmitry didn’t like it either. But who would care about two guys who were on the tail end of their fighting careers? They couldn’t possibly be worth much money to Yenin for many more years. No matter how good he and the other Russian fighters were in the ring, their days of fighting had to be numbered. Nobody fought as long and hard as they did without succumbing to injury or wearing out. It was amazing how well the six of them had managed.

  What Dmitry and Mikhail had gambled on for the last six months was that Yenin wouldn’t show any signs of rounding up either of them when he was released. In that case, Dmitry had hoped he could eventually stockpile enough money to give himself and Lauren a running start and get the hell out of Chicago when his fighting days were over. Now that Yenin’s release was growing more imminent, Dmitry doubted his logic. He grew antsy. It seemed more and more logical Yenin would come to collect his fighters.

  Besides, they had another problem. Dmitry and Mikhail worked for Abram now. Returning to Vegas would be difficult to maneuver, even if Yenin demanded it. Dmitry wasn’t sure how Abram would react to such an idea, but he doubted it would be with a smile. Dmitry and Mikhail owed Abram too much money for him to let them go without a fight.

  A standoff was unavoidable.

  »»•««

  Escaping that testosterone fest was a relief to Lauren as she knocked on Alena’s door and then entered at her friend’s soft “come in.”

  Alena sat at the small desk in her room, clicking away at the computer. She turned to smile at Lauren as she entered. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Dmitry’s over himself. He isn’t mad at you. Don’t worry.”

  “Kind of overbearing, isn’t he?” Alena lifted one heel to set it on the chair next to her thigh. She leaned her chin on her knee.

  “Yes. But he means well.”

  “Does he really think the Russian mafia is still hunting you down?”

  Lauren shrugged. “He does. And I get that. But…”

  “You do not believe him.”

  “It’s not that.” Lauren smiled. “I can’t decide if he’s so jealous that he can’t stand to share me with the world or if he’s seriously concerned.”

  “I agree.”

  Lauren narrowed her gaze on Alena. “Why are you so content to stay in the apartment? Aren’t you about to pull your hair out?”

  The two of them had spent months together with no one else to talk to. At first, Alena’s English had been so bad she couldn’t communicate at all. That had driven Lauren to teach her the language at a breakneck pace so she wouldn’t be as lonely.

  Alena had been a gifted student. The woman spoke three languages already. Picking up English had been a breeze. Nevertheless, she never opened up and shared much about her experiences in Russia. Every time Lauren asked, Alena shrugged and blew her off.

  Alena met Lauren’s gaze dead on. “These have been the best six months of my life.”

  Lauren gasped. The past half a year would rank as the worst six months of her own life.

  “I don’t remember my parents. I was only two when they dropped Mikhail and me off at an orphanage. We were inseparable from each other at first. I know he did everything to take care of me. He was four. Just a baby himself. The orphanage was government run, and the headmaster let Mikhail manage me for about two years. It was probably easier for them. They didn’t have to deal with my tears all the time if Mikhail handled me.

  “Thank God he did. I don’t know what would have happened to me without him.” A tear slipped down her cheek, and she swiped it away with the back of her hand. “But before my fifth birthday, they separated us. They moved Mikhail to a boys’ dorm. He was too old to be in the nursery.”

  “And you never saw him again?” Lauren lowered herself onto Alena’s bed.

  “I saw him. Most days we would find each other outside and play together in the dirt. But we were never permitted to sleep in the same room or anything. Those years were rough. I was scared at night. Alone. Sad. I couldn’t get my shit together.”

  “You were so little. No one should be unloved at such a young age. That’s awful. I’m so sorry.” No wonder Alena thought the last few months were the best. Lauren felt like a heel. She’d had no idea. “What about later? When did you leave the orphanage?”

  “I moved around a few times in my teens and sometimes lost track of Mikhail for months. But the biggest blow was when Anton Yenin brought him to the US when I was sixteen. I never saw him again.”

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah. I was so sad. I thought my world was over. It took me several years to snap out of it, get a menial job, and try to make a living.”

  “Where did you work?”

  Alena shrugged. “Mostly as a house cleaner for rich people. It paid okay and gave me something to do all day.”

  “Didn’t you have friends?”

  “Not many. I hardly spoke to people. I haven’t said more than a few sentences to anyone in my life besides Mikhail until I met you.”

  Jesus.

  “How did Mikhail find you and get you over here?”

  “He didn’t. Abram did. And thank God, because I was certain my life was over when he saved me.”

  “Saved you?”

  Alena nodded. “About a year ago, I was working as a nanny and housekeeper for a wealthy family in St. Petersburg. I took the kids to the park one day, and on the way home three men grabbed me and stuffed me in the back of a van. It happened so fast, I never had a chance to scream.”

  “Shit.” Lauren understood that feeling. She’d been
kidnapped herself by Anton’s men in a similar fashion. She wouldn’t wish that on anyone. It makes the heart stop.

  “They took me to some sort of building hours from the city and locked me in a tiny white room. I saw no one for months. Food and clean clothes came through a hole in the door. I had a small shower and toilet. Nothing else. They did seem interested in keeping me healthy. They ran medical tests. Took blood work. General wellness stuff.

  “And then one day, several army-looking guys busted into the room, wrapped me in their arms, and carried me from the place.

  “I wasn’t sure which kidnapping was worse—the first or the second. I had no idea if these guys were good guys or bad guys. It wasn’t until I was in an airplane that one man spoke to me in Russian and told me I was on my way to the US and would be with Mikhail.

  “And here I am.” She held out her hands. And then she giggled. It seemed incongruent until she spoke again. “You know what the craziest thing about all that is?”

  “What?”

  “Every night I have the same stupid nightmare—I keep wondering what happened to the kids I was watching. They were so small. I don’t have any way of knowing if they made it home safely or if those men killed them or took them also or what.” She shrugged. “I know. It’s crazy.”

  “It’s not crazy. You’re a kind, compassionate person. Of course you would be worried about your charges.”

  Alena bit her lip. “Yeah.”

  “I’m sorry I haven’t been a better friend. You needed one.”

  Her eyes went wide. “Are you kidding? You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. You’ve drawn me out of myself. You’ve taught me a language I always wanted to speak so fluently, no one will ever know I didn’t learn it from birth.”

  Lauren chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that far. Sorry to say, your accent is still quite Russian. But your vocabulary is amazing.”

  Alena grinned. “Whatever. I don’t care. The point is, you have pieced me together from nothing and turned me into a stronger version of myself. I have watched you stick up for yourself in the last few days with awe. My life is changed because of you. No matter what happens, I will always owe you.”

  Now Lauren was crying. She reached for a tissue on the bedside table and dabbed her eyes. “You’re making me sad.”

  Alena popped down from her chair and came across the room. She wrapped her arms around Lauren and held her tight. “No matter what happens, I will always remember your kindness. You were in a difficult situation yourself. You could have shut yourself up in your room and ignored me. You didn’t. I appreciate it with all my heart.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Dmitry leaned against the headboard of Lauren’s bed that afternoon, his forehead resting on his hand across his knees while he tried to think.

  He’d been a selfish ass for months. Both women had probably been walking on eggshells around him while he tried to ignore his growing feelings for Lauren and pretend he wasn’t affected by her presence.

  He sensed Lauren come into the room before he heard her shut the door softly. She eased onto the bed next to him and set her hand on his arm. “Talk to me,” she whispered.

  He lifted his gaze. “Leo’s on his way. He wouldn’t be coming if it weren’t serious. I don’t know how Leo always seems to know so damn much or what his sources are, but he’s intuitive, and I’ve never known him to be wrong about anything.”

  Lauren’s fingers flinched against his arm. “I’m trying to wrap my head around this. I know you think I’m in serious danger, but I’m having a hard time internalizing that. It seems crazy.”

  He set his free hand on top of hers on his arm. “I know, baby, but I need you to listen.”

  “For how long? How long are we going to live like this? We can’t spend our lives running.”

  He swallowed as he continued to stare at her. That was exactly what she, at least, would do. Forever. That was how long. Even if he never saw her again. Even if he had to return to his old life and pretend he hadn’t spent this brief interlude with her. Even if it broke his heart.

  She groaned, her shoulders slumping and her fingers going limp against his bicep. “Seriously?”

  He nodded.

  “Don’t look at it like that. This is survival mode. We don’t have the resources to change that tactic.”

  “What resources would we need?”

  “A shit ton of manpower and money. Yenin’s people have both. I can barely pay the rent each month. And I have no one on my side I can trust, with the exception of the five guys I’ve trained and fought with for years. There’s no way I could ever ask any of them to put their lives on the line for mine. If I called in favors, we’d all get killed. Besides, I don’t have enough favors to call in.”

  “These guys are your friends. They don’t seem like the type to need reciprocation. I’ve met nearly all of them. Besides Mikhail and Leo, you’re talking about Ivan, Sergei, and Nikolav, right?”

  He nodded. He’d forgotten she probably knew all of his friends. Hanging out in Yenin’s estate for any length of time would cause her to become familiar with Yenin’s crew—including the fighters Dmitry considered to be good guys who lived as far above the law as they could without pissing off Yenin and his cronies.

  Mikhail and Leo were just two of them. But even six guys couldn’t possibly take on Yenin’s mob, and Dmitry would never ask them. “True. They’re good guys, but no way could they stand up to the likes of Yenin. He has hundreds of men all over the country. My friends have done their best over the years to stay right on the edge with Yenin, not quite crossing the lines that would make them criminals, but skirting close enough to keep Yenin from growing suspicious of their activities.”

  “That sucks.” She leaned closer and set her cheek against his arm for a second. “Dare I ask what you do that isn’t quite above the law?”

  “Fight, baby.”

  “Besides that, I mean.”

  “That’s it, really. Mikhail and I have Abram book our fights, and he lets us know when to be where. He’s sort of a manager or an agent, I suppose you would call him. He’s a good guy, but unsanctioned fights aren’t legal. Betting on fights is even more serious. That’s how I make money. I fight in mostly cellars where illegal bets are placed, no one can get in without clearance, and there are very few rules.”

  Her hand twitched. “That’s so dangerous.”

  He lifted one side of his mouth in a half grin. “Are you worried about me?”

  “Of course.” She swatted at him with her free hand, landing a soft blow to his forearm. “You’re growing on me.”

  “Liar.”

  She widened her eyes and then batted her lids. “Whatever do you mean?”

  “You’ve been watching me from across a room for months. Perhaps ever since we got here.”

  “So? What does that mean? Maybe I just like to know where you are, or perhaps I like big muscles and geometric tattoos. Did you ever consider that?”

  He chuckled and squeezed her hand with his palm. “Yep. For about a minute, until I realized you don’t want Mikhail with the same intensity.”

  She scrunched up her nose. “Shit. Busted.” She was anything but contrite. In fact, he would describe her as coy as she tipped her head to one side and openly admired him with her gaze as it wandered around his frame. “Your damn arms should be illegal.”

  “Alas, my arms are illegal.”

  “Semantics.” She shrugged. “Tell me more. You and your friends do nothing but fight when you’re called upon? Or are there other illicit things you participate in?”

  “Occasionally, but only under duress and only to keep Yenin and his cronies from growing suspicious of our allegiance. The reality is he brought the six of us over from Russia and saved us from a worse fate in our home country and never stops reminding us of our dues.”

  “Jesus.”

  “Yeah. Who knows how he got green cards for any of us. I’ve often wondered if they were even legit. But I don’t want the answer t
o that, so I’ve never asked. They work. That’s all that matters.”

  “Did the six of you know each other in Russia?”

  “No. We came from different parts of Russia, but we have amazing similarities. We were all abandoned as infants without family to speak of. We lived above the law in Russia, but because none of us had an easy childhood, we weren’t exactly respected. We were all in and out of trouble as youths. Over the course of a few years, Yenin brought us together from different areas of Russia as we aged out of the system. I’ve forever wondered…why? What was the purpose of going to so much expense and trouble for a bunch of wayward boys?”

  “Not a chance it was simply altruistic like you said?”

  “Nope. Not a fucking chance in hell. You know Yenin better than lots of people. Do you think for a minute he’s ever done a single thing in his life that wasn’t somehow for his own personal gain?”

  She cringed. “No.”

  “Then why did he bring six boys over to the US? All of us were barely out of our teens when he arranged passage. None of us has ever stepped so far out of line that we’ve been arrested or caught doing anything illegal in the US. Yenin controls us like puppets.

  “He has hundreds of men working for him that either toe the line or find themselves mysteriously dead. The six of us? Not even a scratch. That reeks of something sinister.”

  “Damn.”

  He lifted his gaze. “But I don’t care about that right now. What I care about is you. I hope you’re right and no one’s looking for you, but I’m not willing to bet your life on it. I know you want to start over, forge a new existence, and take care of yourself. I’m sorry you’ve been locked up in this apartment for so long. I’ll do everything in my power to ensure you get your life back. Just give me a little more time to figure it out.””

  “Okay. What about Leo? Why’s he coming?”

  “Not sure.”

  “But he’s been in Vegas all this time, right?”

  “Yes. He’s been keeping a low profile like the other three guys, fighting in random odd fights in the area. He usually contacts Abram when he has information.”

  “And you trust Abram?”